Ann M.

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It's been a long time since my last post.  My health is still good.  My joints and back are full of arthritis and make it hard on me.  I never regained much use of my arms after the reverse replacement.  I have a very short reach but am able to"walk" my way up on the cabinets and store shelves. I also ask people to reach items for me.  I am nicely surprised that people are so friendly and helpful.  In 2020 I had back surgery.  The ortho doc fused my L4 & 5 and put in rods & screws.  I have had so many sciatic nerve pain flareups that I try not to squat for more than a few seconds.  I had neck pain where the shots weren't really working any more.  After a ct they found arthritis, bone spurs and scoliosis.  This is all new to me. I'm now heading back to a different ortho doc to see if there is anything more he can do to get me out of pain.  I've had shots and RFA on my back & neck but still have pain. I can't walk more than about 10 feet on my own but I walk good with a walker.  I'm on a bowling team but use only 9 & 10 pound balls.  I not too good with an 85 average but I enjoy it and I do get some exercise.  I am still thankful that I had the RNY. I imagine my joints and pain would be much worse if I had that extra 125 pounds on me.  I did gain 25 pounds from my low of 150 but everyone said I was looking bad and almost skeletal at that weight.  I'll try to update this blog more often than 5+ years.

The first meeting of the Sun Cities Area WLS group was a success.  We had 9 people attending and I got very positive responses from several people.  The room we're using is very handy for me since it's just around the corner from where I live.  January's meeting we had a speaker from GNC in to try to put the nutritional guidelines into english so people can understand what the needs are of bariatric patients.  It was very informative and culminated in a protein tasting from Isopure to Whole Gains and in between.  We also talked about the differences in calcium and I think the members understand now that they cannot use Tums or calcium carbonate and must find a source of calcium citrate.  Our local GNC  carries a liquid calcium that is 1200 mg with one tablespoon so your daily needs are met very quickly.

I started my new job on Dec. 22nd.  I'm now a bank teller with MidFirst Bank, a new bank that's based in Oklahoma City but is privately owned and really takes care of their customers and employees alike.  Our motto is "more than you expect from a bank" and we as employees sure go the extra yard to make a customer's experience very good.  I've been in teller training all week and I didn't realize that a bank teller had to know so much and do so many different steps in cashing a check or any other banking experiences.  Everyone needs to give their bank teller a hug and tell them thank you and you go girl!

My shoulder is not healing very well or very quickly.  I am still in a great deal of pain and I do not have the movement I feel I should after 4 months.  I still can't raise my arm more than halfway up facing front and a quarter of the way going out to the side.  I also cannot stand to be on the computer typing for more than a few minutes at a time.  it's a good thing I changed careers because I sure couldn't do what I used to anymore.  I'm still wondering if I'll be able to handle all the work that needs to be done with the way my arm is but I'm sure going to continue with physical therapy and exercise until I get it the best I can.

I gained a bit of weight over the last four months as well.  I'm not able to exercise like I did before and I found that being out of work, I'd snack more while reading or doing other things.  I need to get back to basics and up the protein and cut the calories and start using Fitday to keep up with my food.  I don't need to get back to where I was at 141 but a loss of about 4 pounds would put me at my ideal (to me) weight.
 

I finally got cleared to go back to work on 10/13.  The only problem is that I was laid off from my job two weeks into my rotator cuff surgery.  I went and applied for unemployment but since I have a pension from my job in Michigan, I can't get unemployment here in AZ.  I don't even see that money.  It pays my house payment and BC/BS.  I still need money for all the rest of the things that keep life going like food, lights, internet (lol), gas, etc. 

I have an interview this coming Tuesday with a bank.  It started out with me being one of 300 applicants for one job.  The first telephone interview went well and I moved to the behavioral response test over the phone.  This was a 40 minute question & answer test.  If you passed that then you go for a face to face interview.  Within 5 hours, they had called me back and invited me in for an interview on Tuesday.  It's hard to get excited about this because I've had two others that I thought I did very well with but was not chosen.  I don't know if I'm too old or if they think I have too much experience.  I really don't care, give me a job please.

This coming Monday I begin my classes for Bariatric Coaching.  I received a special invitation to take these classes.  When I got the invitation, I was newly laid off and declined.  After I thought about it, I decided to risk the money it was going to cost because I thought I could learn a lot more and use this in my leader capacity.  Not to mention, being a certified bariatric coach would mean that I could charge for my services.  No matter how I use it, I'm sure it'll help me grow as a person and as a leader.

I am starting a new group here in the Sun City area.  I think there's enough people here that we can support the group.  It'll also give me a chance to get back into being a real leader.  As co-leader of the group I belong to, I wasn't allowed to do things I'd like to do like have speakers, topics, etc.  I really miss doing this and also doing other things with the group for get togethers, talks, etc.  I'm hoping it all works out.  As with my first group, the not knowing how it will go over is the hard part.  Once it starts, I'm ok. 

That's about it for now.  I'm doing all my shoulder exercises, going to physical torture three times a week and doing lots of job hunting.  On the bright side, my dogs love having me home but Larry wishes I would get a job because I make him do too many honey do things, lol.

I went to the high school reunion in July.  No one recognized me.  I had made comments about the crappy way they treated me in high school and I got lots of apologies.  I thought I was the only one going through a hard time but it seems a lot of the "popular" kids were having the same issues as me (except for the heavy weight).  I guess my being fat made it easier for them to forget their problems when they took it out on me.  They never realized how much it hurt.

I did have a wonderful time.  I had printed out my profile/blog here and several people read it and were impressed.  They are really surprised at how well I stick to the program because a lot of them knew someone who had the surgery and had regained.  Not me, never, never! 

Coming home was the pits because we were stuck in Atlanta due to bad weather and Delta not giving a care whether or not we ever got back to Phoenix.  I've learned a few tears to a good customer service rep will get you more than getting mad.

3 weeks ago I had right rotator cuff surgery.  This is the second surgery I've had on this shoulder.  I've been in pain with it since 2002 when they were doing physical therapy after the 1st surgery.  I knew when they retore it but the orthopedic surgeon said he didn't think anything happened.  Well, the tear went from top to bottom which wouldn't show up on an MRI.  It took a CAT scan with dye to show the tear.  It was a very large tear (according to my surgeon in AZ).  I'll be off for another month and then start doing physical therapy.  It'll be a long process to come back.

In the meantime, I got laid off work last week.  I can't collect unemployment because I'm not cleared to work.  Hopefully my AFLAC has kicked in and I'll soon see a check.  I can make it a couple of months without an income but no more than that.  I've been putting in applications via the internet and I hope by the time I'm cleared for light duty, that I'll have an interview lined up. 

I am speaking at an OH conference this weekend on the importance of support groups.  I have started my own group in Michigan and then when I moved to Arizona, became a co-leader of an established group.  It's really important for me to be accountable to someone else.  This keeps me on the straight & narrow. 

As I said, life happens.  I sure hope this little black cloud moves on soon and I get back to work & enjoying a full range of motion.

Down 151 from surgery beginning
BMI was 40, now is 23
fat% now is 27.5

Wonderful numbers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I never thought I'd see them.

I saw Dr. Schlesinger last week for my 2 year checkup.  He's my new bariatric surgeon here in Phoenix.  I really like him because he thinks the way my other surgeon/practice did.  I think that everything I learned keeps my on the right track.  That doesn't mean I don't "cheat" every now and then.  I do have sugar free/fat free ice cream on the weekend.  What a treat!!  I just don't eat a ton of it or I pay dearly the rest of the night.  I have learned to eat in moderation, read labels, count fat grams more than calories, though I do still count calories because they do add up.  I exercise about the same (added swimming instead of weights because of my shoulders).  

I always say that I never regretted having this surgery.  I wish I had done it earlier but I might not have had the same outcome.  I was truly ready and I was ready to change my thinking and life to accommodate it.  I am very proud of what I have done and so is my husband.  Not only have I become healthier, so has he because he eats the same as me (just more).  His cholesterol is wonderful and his heart doctor is very pleased with the exercise level and how he looks.  I can and do take credit for that.

It's less than a month away from the reunion.  I'm very excited but also scared.  I know I have changed but have the rest of the "kids".  They were very cruel to me and it's taken a long time and a lot of work to get over that hurt but I have moved on.  I now figure if they don't like or accept me, so what.  I don't have to live with them.  They don't pay my mortgage and best yet, I can erase them from my mind as quickly as they come up.  I spent too many years trying to drown that hurt and it didn't do me any good.  

I now live life on my terms and I make sure that I do what I need to for me and my family.  Look forward, not back. 

I'm all settled in my house and work.  Everytime I think about working on my profile, I put it off because we're always doing something around the house.  Right now, we're working on making new kitchen cabinet doors.  I kind of did things backward.  I put new granite tile countertops in and now I don't like the cabinets.  Since I really can't change the cabinets out because I like the tile, we're making new doors.  It's really nice to be able to do some woodworking again.  Larry hasn't done any since he died on me in 2000.  He just hasn't had the "vision" of what he can do anymore but I have the vision and he supplies the know how.  It's funny how his brain can recall how to do things but he doesn't trust himself to work around the saws by himself and I'm glad of that.  It's fun working together even if we do only get 2 doors done in a weekend.  We have the rest of our lives together to get them done.

I now belong to the West Valley support group.  I'm co-leader and it's good to be back where I belong.  I missed my old group in Big Rapids but I know they're getting along fine without me.  I'm so proud of Vicky and what she's accomplished!

My next challenge comes in July when I go back to Marietta, OH for my 40th high school reunion.  I don't have fond memories of my school years.  Being the largest in my class (and several others) made for a very miserable life.  I thought long and hard about going back but now I have something to be proud of and that no one can take away from me.  I may not be stick thin but I am at a place where I am very comfortable and proud of myself and what I accomplished to get here and if they haven't changed from back then, well, that's their problem and a much larger one that I can ever comprehend.  Besides that, I'll be seeing Larry's family and my brother and hopefully my nephew and his wife will bring the new baby so I can get a glimpse of Isaac Eli born last week.

I'll try to update this more regularly than I have and I still have to get a better picture posted.

The City of Big Rapids is offering an early retirement to those with over 20 years of service.  I have decided to take advantage of this offer.  In the meantime, I have:

1.  Emailed RTA Fleet Management software company and found out they had a job opening.

2.  Worked very hard talking to everyone at RTA about the job.  The president/owner thought I'd fit the job of Customer Retention Manager very well.

3.  Been turned down by the Vice President of RTA because he thought it would be more of a sales position.  He hadn't even talked to me about the job.

4.  Sold myself in an email to this VP.  More to come later.

5.  Went through lots of websites for Phoenix rentals and house sales.  We finally decided that it would be cheaper to buy a house than to rent one with 4 dogs and a cat.

6.  Found one house and thought we had a chance at it but at the last minute, they got several offers so we missed out.

7.  Found 30 houses to look at when we got there but I was rating them on the area and what amenities were available.  I kept coming back to one in Sun City, AZ.  The virtual 360 tour just caught our eye as the house for us.

8.  Talked with a realtor about this house.  He and his wife went out one evening and called us and did a walk through with us on the phone.  

9.  We decided right then to put a full price offer in contingent on our coming out the next day (we already had tickets) and approving the house.  

10.  The offer was accepted before we got to the airport.

11.  Arrived in Phoenix and went directly to the house.  It was even better than the pictures.  Just perfect for Larry and I and the "kids".  It even has a pool and a water garden.  2 bedrooms, 1 3/4 baths (with jacuzzi tub), large living room, nice kitchen.  Just perfect (except for the horrible sponge painting and borders).

12.  The realtors arranged for a home inspection the next day.  It passed with very little to be fixed.  Termite inspection was good too, pool inspection showed a small problem but the owner is fixing it.

13.  Went to RTA that Friday and spoke with Richard (Vice President).  We started out with small talk about the trip and the house and then he starts talking about the benefits.  I finally figure out that I have the job!!!!!  After about 1/2 hour he asks if I'd like to hear what I'll be doing.  Yes, I say, I'd like to see if what you think the job will be is anything what I thought the name implied.  I was right on!

My last day with the City is October 31.  We leave Nov. 1 for Phoenix and i start work on the 15th of November.

How crazy am I?  I am where I was going to retire to in the first place, my retirement from the city will pay my house and health insurance and I'll have a job that I can do for a long time.  Plus, you don't have to shovel sunshine!!!!!

How many other 56 year olds would pack up and move across the country, buy a house and get a new job?  Not many I imagine but with my "new" self, I am very confident that it will all work out plus I'll be warm (finally).

Keep an eye on this spot because my life is taking some good turns but I can't talk about them yet.  Some things still have to work into place but it should be in the next 3 weeks.

I am also at goal.  My doctor is very pleased with my weight loss.  When I have my plastics, I will lose more weight from the skin.  My body mass versus the fat is perfect.  Woo Hoo

Well, the doctor appointment went wonderfully.  All my essential blood work is right on target.  My BMI is now at a 27 from 49.  My doctor remarked that my BMI is better than his because he's at a 29.  He also said that I will lose at most 5 - 10 more pounds on my own (plastics will get rid of heavy skin weight).  My body mass to fat ration is very good.  There is very little body fat left.  I lost 105.5 pounds of just fat.

I celebrated by going to a consult with a plastic surgeon for a facelift and tummy tuck.  We will be doing the facelift in the next month but I have to wait 4 - 6 months for the tummy tuck because he wants to be sure I don't lose too much more and he wants me stable for at least that period of time.

I have to say that a year ago I didn't think I'd be at this point.  I knew that if I lost 1/2 of what I did, I would be pleased.  I have lost a person and for the first time in my life, I know what it's like to be normal and I'm celebrating.

I was at KMart to get some new t's and they had some cute capris that I liked.  They were size 11/12 Juniors.  I took them into the dressing room and tried them on never thinking they'd actually fit but they did and very nicely.  I ended up not buying them because they were $20 each and I found some at $7.99 that were a medium.  Since I'm still moving down in size, I couldn't justify spending the $20.

I also am down to 171.  I can't remember how old I was when I weighed this little.  I am still losing, a little slower, but I think I can make my goal of 140 (after plastic surgery) one of these days.